RUSSIA, VIETNAM NUCLEAR COOPERATION

WNN - 14 January 2025 - Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin have discussed enhancing their countries' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including in nuclear energy, as Hanoi sets up a steering committee to implement the Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant project.

The two prime ministers signed a joint communique in Hanoi, which according to Russia's Tass news agency covered a comprehensive plan for cooperation between the two countries to 2030 and a memorandum of understanding between Rosatom and Electricity of Vietnam (EVN).

In its report on the talks, the Vietnamese government said it would allow the clear defining of "key areas of cooperation, spanning from economy, trade, energy, and science and technology, to education, culture and defence". It noted that bilateral trade had increased from USD3.3 billion in 2023 to USD4.57 billion in 2024, and added that there were 60,000 Vietnamese people living in Russia.

The Vietnamese prime minister also held talks with Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev and, according to the official Vietnamese government account, he said he "hopes that Russia and Rosatom will continue their cooperation with and support for Vietnam, not only in the development of nuclear power but also in the development of nuclear science and technology for peaceful purposes, contributing to socio-economic development" and "urged Russia and Rosatom to support Vietnam in human resource training and technology transfer to help Vietnam develop its nuclear technology sector".

It reports that Likhachev said "Rosatom would continue strengthening cooperation with Vietnam and ... stands ready to foster collaboration and assist Vietnam in building nuclear power plants, establishing a new, modern nuclear centre, transferring technology, localising nuclear products, and developing nuclear science and industry, with a long-term vision spanning hundreds of years".

Vietnam and Russia are already cooperating in the nuclear sector on the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology in Vietnam, as well as holding discussions last year over future options for large-scale and small modular reactors in the country.

The visit came the day after the Vietnamese government announced the setting up of a steering committee for a proposed nuclear power plant construction project in the Ninh Thuan region, led by the prime minister with the remit to "direct amendments and supplementation to legal regulations for nuclear power development; direct the research and development of the nuclear power programme and submit to competent authorities for consideration and approval; direct international cooperation with other countries, international organisations and the International Atomic Energy Agency in nuclear power development".

A prvious project, in the central province of Ninh Thuan, was approved in principle by the government in 2009 and was going to feature Russian VVER-1200 reactors - but project work was halted in 2016 because of "economic conditions". The Vietnamese government has recently been considering reviving its nuclear energy ambitions - citing energy security, development and net zero targets - and exploring the possibilities of small modular reactors.

The announcement of the steering committee follows November's decisions by the National Assembly and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam to give their backing to new nuclear. EVN "has been assigned by the government to be the investor of the project", according to the statement announcing the formation of the steering committee.

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